


A+ Group Effort

by pepperfield



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Friendship, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Matchmaking, Ridiculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-07
Updated: 2013-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-28 13:37:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/674988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepperfield/pseuds/pepperfield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matchmaking, like basketball, is serious business. But even though everyone's on the same team this time (poorly dubbed "Light Squared"), they've still got quite a few challenges ahead of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A+ Group Effort

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, this is my first time writing something outside of my main fandom, so I hope it's adequate. Anyway, this is a love letter both to my stupid OTP and also to the really great friendships in KuroBasu, but mostly it's about everybody being super dumb. I hope you enjoy it!

Momoi is burning dinner when the revelation hits her. She promptly drops the pepper shaker. " _Kagamin_ ," she gasps, "I'll have to update my database immediately!"  
  
Kagami calmly removes the wooden spoon from her hands and bumps her away from the stove, while stirring the vegetables with exaggerated motions, to demonstrate. "That's great, but Kuroko isn't going to want to eat charcoal. See, you need to watch your pan." She nods vehemently and grabs her clipboard to add to the notes from the impromptu cooking classes he's been giving for the last month. He finishes stir-frying for her, because he doesn't want a repeat of the amateur firefighting from last week, but turns control back to Momoi for the finishing touches.  
  
As they're eating the slightly burnt fruits of their labor, Kagami remembers her earlier comment, and asks, confused, "Wait, shouldn't you already know everything about Aomine, especially something like his preferred foods?"  
  
She rolls her eyes at him with some measure of amusement. "I wasn't talking about Dai-chan, silly! Anyway, that's not important. Do you think Tetsu-kun would eat a lunch if I made it for him?"  
  
\--  
  
As it turns out, "Tetsu-kun" would be happy to eat one of her lunches, as the rest of the Seirin team discover, much to their envy, when Momoi visits next Tuesday. They're a lot less envious when the bento looks suspiciously like something Coach might make, but since Kuroko doesn't keel over and die, they lose interest and let him eat in peace.  
  
"Momoi-san, this sausage is very cute. I think you've definitely improved. Good work," he says.  
  
She blushes prettily, and blurts out, "Ah, well, it's definitely thanks to the lessons I've been getting from Kagamin. Speaking of whom," and she leans in conspiratorially, "do you think he and Dai-chan know about their feelings for one another?"  
  
Kuroko chokes on his rice. After a few minutes of spluttering and copious cups of water, he asks, "What kind of feelings would these be?"  
  
"You know, romance! I think they  _like_  each other," she whispers.  
  
Her companion tilts his head in contemplation. "Actually, while I suspected that Kagami-kun and Aomine-kun had become closer recently, I'm not sure if their relationship could even be categorized as 'friendship'. However, something like 'liking,' hmmm. How does Momoi-san measure something like that?"  
  
"Well, it's..."  
  
Momoi isn't quite sure how to describe that spark that lights Aomine's eyes when he receives a text from his rival, or how the lines of Kagami's frame soften when he finally gives in to Aomine's demands for another match or a bento, or even the way they chat and argue and walk together in that same battle against each other's gravity as when they play. Momoi has been watching Aomine from the sidelines for an age and a half, from the years they were just Satsuki and Daiki, through Teikou and now Touou and everything beyond; and she can map him in intimate detail, as easily as she can project the course of a match.  
  
But there's a role that neither of them are meant to play for one another, and she knows that one day, there will be facts and trivia and moments inaccessible to her, shared only between him and the one who manages to rekindle his fire, to capture that radiance that she knows still burns hot inside him somewhere. And just as she has known this, she has also known that she has an obligation, as the one by his side all this time, to help him find that person and set him on the right path. Satsuki has always loved Daiki, as a sister and a partner and a friend, as she is sure he loves her too, despite his barriers, but to explain in words what it's like to watch him fall in love, it's far too much to express.  
  
So she replies, "It's woman's intuition! And because Kagamin does things like cooking teriyaki for Dai-chan even though just making rice is hard!" Kuroko decides not to point out that making rice probably isn't that difficult for most people.  
  
"Ah, or meeting up with another person after practice to play basketball even when tired, or paying for someone's hamburgers even if it means spending 5000 yen. I see. Yes, I think even for people like those two, these things would be a clear marker for 'like'."  
  
"Exactly! Even basketball idiots can think about something else once in a while. So, what should we do?"  
  
Kuroko's eyebrows raise mildly. "Should we really interfere?"  
  
"Tetsu-kun, do you really think they can figure it out on their own?" she demands. "Don't you want to help them?"  
  
The thing is, Kuroko does. He wants his past and present Lights to be the very best they can be, to strive for and achieve all that they are capable of. But above that, he wants them to be happy. He remembers Aomine's smile, brilliant as anything he's ever seen, because it was a product of doing what he loved most. Watching powerlessly as the distance grew between them has never settled well with Kuroko, and he will not let his old friend drift like that again. And Kagami: shining, fiery, endlessly impressive Kagami, whose heart is so easily won over, who is secretly kind and refuses to let down those who he's entrusted his loyalty to - Kuroko wishes him the future he is destined for and the place in the world he deserves. Somehow, through the twisting course of fate, or by sheer force of will, his life has intersected with the lives of these two impossibly light people, and maybe they're each exactly what the other needs to blaze as bright as they can. As their shadow, it's his duty to make that happen.  
  
Yes, he wants to help them.  
  
He puts down his lunch and smiles at her. "Where should we start?"  
  
Momoi squeals and pulls him into her great bosom for a crushing hug. "I knew you'd pull through for me, Tetsu-kun! Now, first, we need backup."  
  
Kuroko almost passes out from air-loss.  
  
\--  
  
Their booth at Maji Burger is very crowded.  
  
"Oi, Satsuki, when you said you wanted to meet Tetsu for dinner, you didn't tell me I was signing up for a fucking interview!" Aomine snaps at his friends, who sit staring at him from the other bench. Besides the trays of food on the table, there's also a notepad filled to the margins with scribbles and stick figures and maybe a basketball play or two. "And who the hell invited him?" he demands with a violent jab at Kise, who is sitting squashed against the window to Kuroko's left.  
  
The blond recoils dramatically. "Aominecchi, you wound me! After all we've been through, you won't admit that we're friends?"  
  
"No."  
  
Kise's face falls for a second, but then his sparkle returns in full force. "No, too bad, I think we're friends. Definitely. Don't you guys agree?" he turns to the other two. Momoi nods enthusiastically and even Kuroko gives a thumbs up. "See, three to one. I win!" he exclaims with a clap to Aomine's shoulder.  
  
"Okay, fine, we're all best friends, hurray. Now can you finally explain what we're doing here?"  
  
Kuroko gestures to the food with his vanilla shake. "Please, Aomine-kun, enjoy this meal courtesy of us."  
  
"What kind of trick is this, Tetsu?"  
  
"There's absolutely no trick here." Blue eyes stare each other down as Kuroko's blank gaze meets Aomine's glare. The taller boy is the first to break and with a sigh he grabs a burger and begins eating.  
  
The other three people immediately begin flipping through the notepad and whispering among themselves. Aomine does his best to ignore them and savor his free meal, but the noise only increases, until he can make out a few words like "stupid" and "oblivious" and "Kagamicchi" and then he can't stand it anymore, so he balls up his wrapper and pegs Kuroko with it right between the eyes. Momoi and Kise squawk indignantly on his behalf.  
  
"Dai-chan, that was mean!"  
  
"It really was! A good shot, though." Trust Kise to be impressed by the important things.  
  
"No more nonsense! Tell me what the three of you want, or I'm outta here," Aomine threatens, brandishing another burger at them.  
  
Momoi and Kise share a look over Kuroko's head, while he drinks his shake and rubs at the spot on his forehead.  
  
"We need to start small," Kise decides, pointing at something in their notes. "It might be hard for him to understand at first, so let's be very clear."  
  
"Good plan. Okay. Dai-chan, we've been thinking that it would good if you learned how to express your gratitude."  
  
At Aomine's quizzical look, Kuroko fills in, "What Momoi-san is trying to say is that you ought to thank Kagami-kun for being in your life."  
  
"What."  
  
Kuroko flips through the notepad until he reaches a diagram with two stick figures. One of them has a "10" scrawled across his midsection, while the other has a "5". In succession, he points at each panel. "Here is our match in the Winter Cup from last year, where Aomine-kun can see that he is smiling," and indeed stick-Aomine has a smiley face and also what looks like lasers shooting from his eyes. "And here is Aomine-kun enjoying his victory in a 1-on-1 against Kagami-kun. This next one is Aomine-kun eating a delicious homecooked dinner made by husband-san, I mean, sorry, Kagami-kun, and then here is Touou and Seirin relaxing at the hot springs together again, where everyone had a nice time." Stick-Kagami is wearing a number "10" apron in the third picture, and swimming trunks in the last. Incidentally, the rest of stick-Seirin appears to be trying to peek into the women's side of the spring, while stick-Wakamatsu flips out.  
  
"Now, Aomine-kun, I think you can see that the conclusion to be reached from our presentation is that your life has been greatly enhanced since Kagami-kun has entered it. One might even say, if we were being very generous, that Kagami-kun is like an angel descending from the heavens to urk-"  
  
Kuroko narrowly dodges the burger whipped at his face. Momoi whacks Aomine over the head with the pad, and he hisses at her.  
  
"I don't know what you guys are trying to pull here, but I'm done. C'mon, Satsuki, let's go home."  
  
As Aomine gets up to leave, Kuroko grabs his wrist and holds him in place.  
  
"Aomine-kun, I was only hoping that you and Kagami-kun could become proper friends, especially since you are both important to me."  
  
Ugh. Going straight for the emotional manipulation. "Yeah, well, it's not like we're not getting along. Can't I just thank you and be done with it?"  
  
"No, I know that I already have your eternally undying gratefulness. But Kagami-kun is a bit thick, so he may not realize the same applies to him."  
  
Aomine knows that Tetsu won't quit when he's after something, so he just gives in to get it over with. "Fine! Next time we meet I'll thank him. Now get off my back, you meddling weirdos." He drags Momoi out of the restaurant, but she turns back and gives her co-conspirators a wink. Kise takes out a pen and marks off the first ticky box on their checklist with a flourish. Attempt number one set into action.  
  
\--  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Kagami turns his head slowly, so that he can see the other boy. They're both splayed out on the outdoor court after an afternoon of practice. The sun is starting to set but the temperature remains pleasantly warm.  
  
"...are you sick?"  
  
"Why is that your first response?! No, I'm not sick. Is it so hard to believe that I would thank someone?"  
  
"Uh, no, maybe not. But what are you thanking me for?" Sometimes Kagami wonders if everyone around him seems really weird because of a cultural divide, but then he thinks about it, and he's pretty sure that no, this is weird in Japan too.  
  
Aomine groans. Of course it would be too much to ask for Kagami to simply accept and move on. "For. You know. Stuff."  
  
"You're welcome?" Kagami responds tentatively, but Aomine just glares at him, so he snaps back, "I don't know what kind of stupid thing you're trying to say to me!"  
  
"Arghhhh, look, thanks for everything, okay? Like, for this game, and the curry the other day, and your extra towel, and just...existing, I guess." By the end, Touou's ace is mumbling incoherently into his hands. This is literally the worst. He hates Tetsu, he hates Satsuki, he hates everyone.  
  
Kagami is also flushed in mortification and coughs to try to hide it. "...um, you too. For the same. Stuff."  
  
They stew in their own embarrassment for a few minutes until Kagami's stomach rumbles and gives them an excuse to do something else. They pack up in silence.  
  
"Let's just never ever talk about this again."  
  
"Hm."  
  
\--  
  
Outside Kaijou, Kise waves off a crowd of adoring girls before ducking behind a bush to see Kuroko and what seems like half of Seirin's team huddled on a bench waiting for him.  
  
"Agh! Jeez, Kurokocchi, when did you gather an army?"  
  
"They took an interest in the matter at hand when I was questioning Kagami-kun earlier today. Apparently, this is more interesting than Coach's death drills."  
  
Kise perks up. "Right, how did it go? And how did all of you escape without him tagging along?"  
  
"Kiyoshi-senpai has him practicing back at Seirin, and we told him that Coach was taking us on a scouting mission. Which isn't completely inaccurate. I think she might be spying on your first-years right now."  
  
"Be glad Kasamatsu-senpai isn't around anymore to kick her out. But anyway, what happened?"  
  
"I asked about their last meetup, and Kagami-kun began to blush uncontrollably. But other than that, I do not think anything has really changed. There might not have been any progress."  
  
The senpai with the cat mouth shakes his head. "No, wait Kuroko, Mitobe says he saw Kagami talking on the phone with someone earlier and he looked really happy! There could be more going on than we think." The silent one nods.  
  
Kise isn't really sure that Mitobe is even capable of speech, but no matter. "Eh, isn't this great, then? Should we take the next step?"  
  
Kuroko's teammate with the sharp eyes asks, "What's the next step?"  
  
The blue haired boy suddenly conjures up the notepad from seemingly out of nowhere, and points to the checklist. "We should try and get them to give gifts to each other, so that they may strengthen their bond and think about what the other person likes."  
  
"But there's no holiday coming up anytime soon. And more importantly, did you use misdirection on that notepad??" Kise demands.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Kise-kun. I will go shopping with Kagami-kun this weekend; he will feel obligated to buy a gift to compensate for the shoes he was given last year. We will focus our efforts on him this time around, especially since I don't think Aomine-kun will be receptive to our advice right now." Kuroko rubs absently at his forehead again at the phantom pain of the burger assault.  
  
"Hey, if it's a shopping trip, we should all go! It'll be fun!" the cat senpai pipes up. Some of the benchwarmers nod along.  
  
"Then it's decided. Seirin will take a team trip this weekend, where I will take the chance to set part 2 into action. Kise-kun, you and Momoi-san can keep brainstorming in the meantime," Kuroko says.  
  
"Hmmm? What exactly is Seirin doing this weekend instead of practicing?" a female voice asks from the other side of the bush; the captain and coach of Kuroko's team suddenly pop out, looking somewhat shady.  
  
"No, Coach, we'll be going out after practice," Kuroko quickly reassures her.  
  
"Oh, that's fine then! Actually, that would be a good time to stock up on supplements and the like. Good thinking, Kuroko-kun. Ah, Kise-kun, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Isn't that my line?"  
  
\--  
  
Kagami looks down at the oblong object in his hands. "Is this a torture device?"  
  
His friend tsks at him. "Kagami-kun, it's obviously a massage machine. See, the booklet here describes the different settings."  
  
The redhead squints at the confusing diagram on the booklet and then back at the device. "I don't know..."  
  
"Oh, is it because Kagami-kun can't read the kanji? I can help you, if you want."  
  
"No, shut up, that's not it!" He bops Kuroko on the head. "Can't you just give massages by hand? Why does anyone need this kind of complicated thing?"  
  
Kuroko nods sagely. "Ah, you want to make a more personal gift, is that it? Yes, if you give Aomine-kun handmade massage coupons, it will definitely send a certain message. Your boldness is quite refreshing."  
  
"Gah, nope, shut up, shut up. Forget electronics. It's probably way too expensive anyway," Kagami mutters as he drops the massager and flees to a different department.  
  
  
In the DVD store, they see Hyuuga and Kiyoshi browsing through the discount bin.  
  
Kiyoshi holds up a gangster movie, and gestures at the main character. "Doesn't this guy look a lot like Hyuuga?" Their captain hits him on the back. "Ow. Hey, Kuroko, hold on for a second, I have a question."  
  
Kuroko waves Kagami on, who wanders off into the store, and then turns back to his senpai, who huddle in close.  
  
"So? Did he buy anything yet?" Hyuuga asks. He's holding a little bag with some cute hair clips; it matches the bag Kiyoshi has, which contains a cellphone charm.  
  
"No, he can't decide."  
  
"Maybe he should try this store!" Kiyoshi suggests, lifting his bag. "We found some great things for Riko there. They have a really large selection."  
  
"Yeah, but Aomine's not a cute girl, you idiot!" Hyuuga throws his hands up in exasperation.  
  
"So Hyuuga thinks Riko is a cute girl, huh?"  
  
"I never said that!"  
  
As their senpai begin bickering, Kagami comes back over with a DVD in hand. "Hey, Kuroko, I think I found something. This is that idol he likes, right?" He shows Kuroko the case, which has the picture of a pretty girl wearing a bikini on the front.  
  
Kuroko smacks it out of his hands.  
  
"Oi!"  
  
The shorter boy sighs. His Lights are hopeless, honestly. "Kagami-kun, try to imagine what will happen to you if Coach sees you holding that." Kagami picks up the DVD sheepishly and hides it behind his back. "And additionally, I'm not sure these are the kinds of things that people buy for each other."  
  
"Yeah, you have a point. I'll put it back. Watch out for Coach for me."  
  
After he returns, they bid goodbye to their seniors and head for the bookstore. Kuroko decides it might be the safest bet as long as he supervises. What he doesn't count on is running into Midorima.  
  
"Hello, Midorima-kun."  
  
"Kuroko," Midorima responds. He's wearing one of those headbands that makes it look like an arrow got shot through his brain.  
  
"Hey, it's you guys! What's with these coincidental meetings, seriously?" Takao exclaims, bustling over with a stack of books up to his chin.  
  
Kagami takes the top book from him. "Fortune telling? You're into this kind of stuff too, Takao?" He puts it carefully back on Takao's pile.  
  
"Nah, I'm just holding these for Shin-chan. But what are you here for?"  
  
"Kagami-kun is looking to buy a gift for someone important to him," Kuroko explains as he flips through a photo book about dogs. Kagami shuffles a little bit away from him.  
  
Midorima stares at them for a moment, before checking his phone and then looking over at Kagami. "You're a Leo, right?" At Kagami's confused nod, he continues, "Hm, well, you're supposed to be lucky in love today."  
  
Kuroko's gaze snaps upward to look at Midorima, who shows him the forecast on his phone. "Is that so. Isn't that fortunate, Kagami-kun?" he asks as blandly as possible.  
  
His friend looks away, a slight blush gathering at the tips of his ears. "I have no idea why that would be relevant to me. Anyway, I think I see something over there, so I'll catch you guys later." And once again, he beats a retreat.  
  
Takao whistles low in appreciation. "Wow, I didn't know you were the type to tease like that, Kuroko. Is this related to the thing Kise's been texting Shin-chan about?"  
  
Kuroko raises his eyebrows. "You and Kise-kun text each other?"  
  
"It's entirely one-sided, I assure you." Midorima slips his phone into his pocket. "I have no interest in his petty gossip."  
  
"Oh, then Midorima-kun just has a natural investment in the love fortunes of his rivals?"  
  
Midorima snorts and spins on his heel. "Takao. We've spent enough time here. Let's go."  
  
"Don't mind it, Kuroko! It's just his tsun side shining through!" Takao shouts back as he's dragged off by his teammate. Kuroko hides a smile behind his dog book. Even if he and Midorima never understood each other, he's still glad to see that Midorima's found a team he can wholeheartedly trust.  
  
A hand settles on top of his head and he huffs. "Please don't reduce my height anymore, Kagami-kun."  
  
"Sorry, sorry. Look, I found something, so we can go shop wherever you want now." Kuroko's eyes widen: indeed, Kagami is holding a neatly wrapped package in his other hand. He curses mentally.  
  
"What did you decide to buy?"  
  
Kagami blushes again, and tucks the book under his arm. "No, it's not really anything. I'll have to repay him for the shoes some other time. This is just something small."  
  
It seems he won't be revealing anything more. Kuroko mentally notes that he'll have to ask Momoi to gather any information on it that she can. For now, it's best to let things be. "Well, I think I'll purchase this, and then we can go see if the others are done. We can probably find Koganei-senpai and Tsuchida-senpai in the novelty horror shop across the way." Kagami shudders, both at the dog book and the prospect of entering the horror store.  
  
\--  
  
Aomine is napping on the couch when something heavy is dropped on his stomach. It causes him to flail onto the floor.  
  
"What the hell, Bakagami?!"  
  
Kagami flicks him on the forehead. "It's time for dinner, you loafer."  
  
"Can't you just tell me that like a normal person, instead of throwing your crap at me?" Aomine grouses, picking up the object as he stands.  
  
"That's  _your_  crap," the other responds, while doling out rice. There's a lot more in his own bowl.  
  
"What? No, it's not."  
  
"Yes,  _it is_ , because  _I'm giving it to you_."  
  
That causes Aomine to pause and look down at what he's holding. It's wrapped nicely, as if it's a present or something. Kagami is studiously looking everywhere but at him, shifting bowls around and rearranging chopsticks. Pfft. Of course he's the type to get shy about a thing like this. Aomine sits down at his side of the table and unwraps the gift carefully, to draw out the tension. He's a little disappointed at first, when he realizes it's a book (because who has time to read, really), but then he notices the title.  
  
" 'A Detailed History of the NBA and Basketball in America'?"  
  
Kagami stabs a piece of chicken with his fork and concentrates on cutting it into tiny pieces. "Well, if we're going to get into the NBA, you better be prepared for what it's going to be like over there. America's not Japan, you know. You should at least know about American basketball; I can't be translating every little thing for you. Looking back on it, I probably should have bought you English tapes or something."  
  
For what he swears will be the last time (like he does every time), Aomine Daiki smiles because of something Kagami Taiga does. He places the book gently down on the floor next to him and picks up his bowl, staring down with a grin at the meal Kagami's prepared for the two of them. Sometimes he can't stand this - this low-level energy thrumming through his brain and his heart, a diffuse warmth singing from each cell:  _this is what happiness feels like, remember it well_. It was easier when he didn't care, when he'd gotten used to the bleak dearth of excitement in his life, when each day was another moment spent staring at the sky from his school roof, thinking absently, "Who will I beat today?" Now it's almost overwhelming how much clearer everything is, from the court, to Satsuki's voice, to the devastating crimson light in Kagami's eyes. He really does have this guy to thank for some things, doesn't he?   
  
"Who says I need you to translate for me? I've seen your English scores. You suck," Aomine teases, as he starts into his rice.  
  
"Please, as if high school really measures the important things. Who's the one who can speak two languages fluently? Me. You wouldn't survive a second in L.A. without me," Kagami retorts, waving his chopsticks around.  
  
"Yeah? You'll have to prove it one day, won't you?"  
  
\--  
  
Riko examines the scene in the lodge, and slowly tries to puzzle it out. Training camp wasn't supposed to be like this.  
  
"I understand that Harasawa-san agreed to my plan for a friendly practice match since both our schools are training here. And I also know that he and I allowed for a small party afterward to celebrate both our teams plans to meet in Interhigh. Am I right so far?"  
  
She receives a bunch of nods, so she goes on.  
  
"But what I  _don't_  understand is how any of the rest of this happened!"  
  
"This" refers to the chaotic state of affairs that has Sakurai and Fukuda covered in cake, Izuki passed out on Tsuchida, Wakamatsu engaged in a shirtless arm-wrestling competition with Hyuuga, a bunch of loopy freshmen playing a most ill-advised round of the King's Game, and everyone else apparently acting out a version of Sleeping Beauty where the titular role is being filled by Tetsuya #2.  
  
"And where the heck is the colorful hair crew, and why on earth are you here, Kise-kun!" Riko turns the brunt of her anger on the bizarrely prevalent intruder in their midst. Everyone else takes the opportunity to start making their escape.  
  
"Ah, wait, wait! I just happened to be nearby?" Kise tries.  
  
"In the mountains?!"  
  
"No, haha, let me try that again. I just wanted to see Kurokocchi, you see? And then I found out that Aominecchi and Momoicchi were also here, so of course I had to stop by, you know? It's like a reunion!" He breaks out his brightest model quality smile. Riko is momentarily dazzled, but she fights through it.  
  
"I guess it doesn't really matter why you're here. But at least tell me this: if you're here to see them, why are those three hiding? And where did Kagami-kun go?"  
  
Kise laughs nervously. "Don't worry, I think they'll turn up sooner or later. But why don't you let me help you guys clean up this mess, senpai?" he deflects. Luckily, it works. Within seconds, he and the slower members of Seirin find themselves with mops and buckets in hand, as Riko storms off to hunt down those who have heretofore dodged her fury.  
  
  
Elsewhere, three people are trapped in a closet, while a fourth tries his best to pick the lock, but to no avail.  
  
"Sorry, can't do it. You guys will just have to put up with it until someone finds the key," Aomine finally says. He tosses the hairpin down and leans back against the door.  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE QUIT, DAI-CHAN."  
  
"I'll seriously kill you, Ahomine, if you leave us here. I swear, you better start checking your food for razors."  
  
"I agree, Aomine-kun. You aren't the kind of bastard who would let his dearest friends remain trapped in a linen closet, are you?"  
  
The target of their ire groans. How did he end up with such annoying people. "Fine, stop hassling me, I'll try again. How the fuck did you idiots get stuck in there anyway?"  
  
Inside the closet, Momoi starts dithering. "Um. Well, you see-"  
  
"We were just struck with a sudden bout of clumsiness. It might be hard for a Miracle like you to understand, Aomine-kun, but sometimes we normal people fail like this," Kuroko interjects smoothly.  
  
Kagami bristles at this. "Speak for yourself, Kuroko! I wouldn't be in here if you two hadn't dragged me down with you!"  
  
"...that may be true," Kuroko concedes. He shares a look with Momoi, who shrugs. How did their plan go so wrong? Right, because it was Kise's idea.  
  
Approximately two hours earlier, when Kise had arrived after being summoned by Momoi to the joint training camp, he'd grinned sneakily and outlined the premise of his plan. It was simple. A classic, really, at least in the realm of romcoms and cliched manga. All they had to do was "accidentally" lock Aomine and Kagami in the linen closet and "lose" the key until something sufficiently interesting developed, like a confession or a bit of fooling around.  
  
They hadn't expected that they would manage to fail so badly. The plan was conditional on Momoi convincing Aomine to chase a bug out of the closet for her; while he was busy searching, Kuroko would appear behind Kagami and scare him into the room as well. Unfortunately, when Momoi went to show Aomine the bug, she tripped and pulled Kagami along with her. Kuroko, who had been in position to frighten him, went down with his weight as well, and the door slammed shut. Somewhere in the closet fell the key, but first they charged Aomine with trying to free them while they searched for the light switch.  
  
Even now, with the light on, the room is rather dark, and there are sheets and pillows everywhere. Kagami stands still and holds the increasingly large pile of cloth that Momoi and Kuroko have already looked through, as Aomine continues to scratch ineffectively at the lock.  
  
Kagami can feel his arms starting to droop as Kuroko dumps another pillow on him. "Maybe we should just give up and wait for Coach or someone. It's too dark to really see anyway," he suggests.  
  
Outside, Aomine snickers. "Hmm, I wonder, could it be because your light is too di-"  
  
"I dare you to finish that fucking sentence, you asshole!" Kagami screeches.  
  
"Now, now, let's all calm down. Maybe Kagamin is right. We might be wasting our energy. Someone has to have a spare key, right?" Momoi helps Kagami drop the bedding from his hands and they settle back into the sheets in defeat.  
  
"It's probable that Coach or Hyuuga-senpai has one. If Aomine-kun could go fetch one of them..."  
  
"Nah, I'm too comfortable to move right now," the smug voice outside replies.  
  
"Are you really?" There's a vaguely creepy edge to Kuroko's tone, and Momoi and Kagami instinctively move closer to each other and farther away from him.  
  
"Yep. Sorry, Tetsu. Them's the breaks."  
  
"Then so be it. We'll just have to pass the time telling stories until someone wanders by and lets us out. Luckily, I happen to have a tale that you'll very much enjoy, Aomine-kun." The ice in Kuroko's voice has increased. Kagami starts building a pillow wall to separate himself from his best friend.  
  
"You think so? Let's hear it, then."  
  
"No, you idiot!" the other two shout, but it's too late. Kuroko starts speaking.  
  
"Once, many years ago, in a little house in the mountains, very similar to this one, there lived a family of three brothers. Unfortunately, in the cold, harsh winter, the eldest brother passed away from an illness on a night without the moon. His grieving siblings buried him outside the house in a shallow grave, because it was difficult to dig very deep down into the hard, frozen ground. The next morning, a strange black bird sat in the tree above their brother's grave, and no matter how much it snowed, the bird never moved."  
  
Kuroko pauses for a breath. Momoi has her arms wrapped tight around a pillow, while Kagami is completely hidden by his blanket fort. Aomine's uneven laugh floats in from the hallway.  
  
"Hahaha, if you think you can scare me with a tame story like this, Tetsu, you're shit out of luck."  
  
"We'll see. Anyway, near the end of winter, the middle brother woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. As he left his bedroom and began walking down the hallway, he thought he heard footsteps. Thinking it might be his younger brother, he turned around, but there was no one there. So he kept walking, but once again he heard footsteps, and this time, there was someone calling his name as well. 'Daiki...' the voice said-"  
  
"Wait one fucking minute, why's his name Daiki?!"  
  
"That's just how the story goes, Aomine-kun."  
  
"Then what are the other two brothers called?"  
  
"The eldest is named Seijuurou, and the youngest, and shortest brother, is Atsushi."  
  
"Really, you killed off Akashi? And why is Murisakibara the shortest?!"  
  
"I have no idea what you're going on about. Any similarities to real people are entirely coincidental. Now if you would let me continue. Ahem. Daiki turned at the sound of his name, but yet again, there was no one there. But oddly enough, there was a shadow. And as Daiki watched, the shadow drew closer and closer, and the footsteps louder and louder..."  
  
Kuroko trails off for a moment, and his audience freezes as the sound of footsteps in the hallway replaces his voice.  
  
"Holy fuck, it's Ghost Akashi, he's going to kill me, let me in, Tetsu, let me in, c'mon-"  
  
"I'm sorry, but if we could open the door, we already would have. I'm afraid you'll have to face the ghost alone." The footsteps continue.  
  
The doorknob rattles violently as Aomine attempts to break in and Kagami and Momoi shriek in unison.  
  
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die..."  
  
"Hold me, Tetsu-kun!!"  
  
Finally, the footsteps stop, and with them, so does everyone's breath. Aomine clutches hopelessly at the door, while Momoi has buried her face in Kuroko's stomach and Kagami has simply willed himself unconscious.  
  
"...Aominecchi? What are you doing out here? And where's everyone else?"  
  
Aomine faints.  
  
The next morning, nobody meets anybody else's eyes. Through mutual agreement, Seirin and Touou, plus Kise, decide to pretend the training camp never happened. It's better that way.  
  
\--  
  
Kuroko stares gravely at the whiteboard, and Kiyoshi shakes his head.  
  
"I know you're putting in your best effort, Kuroko, but it might be good to take a short break. Just to regroup and gather your energy. Especially since the first tournament is coming up."  
  
"No, we can't quit now! It's just a minor setback, Kurokocchi, don't let it get you down!" Kise slams his palm down on the table.  
  
The other people in the room turn to look at him.  
  
"Seriously, who keeps letting you into this school?" Hyuuga asks.  
  
"Well, on the days she doesn't go to Newspaper Club, it's Ami-chan, but if it's later in the afternoon, then it's usually Naomi-chan, or even Ai-chan from the chorus, ahhhh, no wait!" The other second years tackle him to the floor in rage.  
  
The blue haired boy turns back to his plan of attack with a grim expression. Riko sighs.  
  
"We've been making progress, which is why you don't want to stop. But Teppei is right. With Interhigh approaching, your focus on basketball can't afford to be only 98%. It's gotta be 100% or bust," she lectures the team sternly.  
  
Kuroko nods. "I understand. I apologize, Coach, for distracting everyone."  
  
As he goes to erase the board of their ideas (rig a test of courage? street basketball tournament? fake mugging?), Kagami pokes his head in the room.  
  
"Why are you all in here? Aren't we supposed to be practicing in the gym?"  
  
At his words, everyone jumps into action. Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda climb off of Kise and crowd Kagami out the door, while Riko throws herself at the board to cover as much as she can with her body. Kise crams loose pages from the trusty notepad into his mouth to hide them, and Izuki shouts puns haphazardly to distract from the action in the room. Kagami lets himself be herded back to the gym, but he suspects his team may be going insane. Seriously, Japan has definitely gotten odder since his childhood.  
  
  
Later that evening, four shirts into his laundry folding, Kagami is suddenly greeted by the sight of Aomine flinging the bathroom door open wearing only a towel. The redhead scowls and chucks a pair of underwear at the other boy. "What's with everybody and walking around my house naked?"  
  
Aomine catches the boxers and scoffs. "I had something to important to- wait, who the hell else have you seen naked?"  
  
"Ugh, Alex. It's as bad as seeing my own mom. It's not right, man." Shaking his head, Kagami throws pants at Aomine as well.  
  
"Oh. Well, anyway, I finally figured it out!"  
  
"Figured what out?"  
  
"Why Tetsu and Satsuki and fucking everybody has been acting so goddamn psycho." Aomine briefly ducks back into the bathroom to put some clothes on before re-emerging.  
  
"Yeah, they've been kind of off recently. And Kise keeps visiting Seirin for some reason?"  
  
"Hah, I knew that bastard was in on this. I know what they're up to. They've been trying to set us up!"  
  
Kagami looks up from his folding. "...like, as fall guys? They're gonna betray us?"  
  
"No, you total moron, they're trying to get us to date!"  
  
All he gets is a blank stare in return. "But we're already dating."  
  
"Yeah, but no one knows that, remember? Unless you actually managed to tell Tetsu?" Aomine throws himself onto the couch without regard to the laundry he's wrinkling.  
  
"Ah. No." Honestly, there were a few times Kagami was going to tell Kuroko, but then they got distracted by basketball or pig-truffle-such-and-such sandwiches, or what have you. It kind of just never worked out.  
  
"See? So now they've somehow decided it's their job to get us together even though it's been like half a year since we started bangi-"  
  
"Right, okay, I get the picture, stop talking now."  
  
They sit in comfortable silence as Kagami continues to fold up the pile of their clothes and Aomine flips through sports channels on TV. When Kagami finishes putting everything back in the dresser, he flops down next to his boyfriend and muses, "You know, I'm actually kind of surprised they haven't realized it yet."  
  
"They probably got too caught up in their stupid plans to pay attention to reality."  
  
"Should we tell them? Things are probably just going to get worse from here."  
  
"We never managed to tell anyone before. You think you now have the balls to go through with it?"  
  
Kagami leans back and contemplates the ceiling. Aomine lies his head down in his lap, and Kagami strokes absently through his hair. "I dunno, somehow saying it out loud just doesn't seem possible right now. Especially with someone like Kuroko staring you down while you do it. But...do you know what we could do."  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"We could just give them what they want."  
  
Aomine raises an eyebrow and watches as a baseball player strikes out before answering. "What, like play along?"  
  
"Just for one date. We'll let them find out about it, cause I'm sure they'll stalk us, and then confess our eternal love or something where they can hear."  
  
"What's that? You're eternally in love with me?" Aomine grins incorrigibly, and tugs at Kagami's sleeve. "That means you'll make me whatever I want for dinner, right?"  
  
"Ugh, you parasite. I just want the team to stop acting like crazy people before the tournament starts. I'll make you whatever you want if you help me out with them."  
  
"Sure, why the hell not. I gotta get Satsuki off my case somehow, so let's do it. Also, I want hotpot."  
  
"Eh? But we have no ingredients."  
  
"Don't care. You promised."  
  
"You're really such a pain." Kagami rolls his eyes, but he's trying not to smile.  
  
\--  
  
"-so tomorrow outside the station. Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it. Fine! And don't be late!" Kagami ends his call with a fond look.  
  
"Does Kagami-kun have plans tomorrow?" Kuroko asks from next to him.  
  
"Holy fsjelkjlaskf- dammit, Kuroko, stop doing that! And no, it's just a dumb meeting, so just forget about it. C'mon, let's go to practice."  
  
"Okay," Kuroko agrees, as if he didn't overhear anything.  
  
But during practice, when Kagami's back is turned, he gives the rest of the team The Signal, and when everyone's headed for the showers, he quickly sends a text to Momoi and Kise.   
  
Finally, their hard work is going to pay off.  
  
\--  
  
"Momoicchi, I can't see..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Ki-chan, but there really isn't any room!"  
  
A shove. "Sorry! Oh god, I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's okay, Sakurai-kun. But if you could please get off my foot..."  
  
"Haha, I suppose you could say that though we're dying to spy, while spying, we might die!"  
  
"Shut up, Izuki."  
  
"You know, this is a surprisingly cute location. Did they get advice from someone?"  
  
Currently, way too many people are hiding behind the shrubbery outside the Shining Star Cafe, which their subjects have just entered. Each person is in maximum incognito mode, decked out in caps and sunglasses and strange coats. Hyuuga has even temporarily dyed his hair blond again. Everyone who sees them gives them a wide berth on the streets. Kiyoshi, the tallest of them, particularly now that he's wearing a crumpled top hat, peeks over the bushes into the cafe window.  
  
"Ah, I think Aomine just bought Kagami his drink. And now they're coming back out." Everybody ducks back down, and Kise and Kuroko share a fistbump.  
  
The couple pauses outside with their drinks, and chat quietly, until Kagami says, in a considerably louder voice, "Hey, do you want to go see that new movie that just came out? The one...about the guy, who, uh."  
  
"Yep, why not, let's go." Aomine grabs his wrist and drags him off in the direction of the movie theater. Their stalkers follow, running to hide under tables and behind planters along the way.  
  
"Smooth, Bakagami. Real smooth. I'm starting to remember how you won my heart," Aomine hisses as they pretend not to notice that Koganei just tripped over his own oversized boots.  
  
"Shut up, I never said I was any good at acting, did I? Look, in the movie theater we don't have to really do anything, so it's fine, isn't it? Now act like you like me, dammit," Kagami snarls back and shifts so that they're properly holding hands. Behind them a strange squealing noise starts up. They ignore it and continue stomping off toward their destination.  
  
Outside the theater, they pause to look over the movie posters. Nearby, someone with blond hair falls into a recycling bin.  
  
"Crap, there's too many choices," Aomine mutters. He looks over a few unacceptable films (horror, chick flick, period drama), before shrugging.  
  
"Just pick one at random. I'll go pay for tickets, so hold my drink."  
  
"Ask for two tickets for whatever's playing in theater #5."  
  
"Really, your jersey number? Jeez, you're completely ridiculous," Kagami grumbles, but he heads to the counter. Aomine scans the area and spots most of their stalkers' hiding places. Aida, Izuki, and Satsuki look like a few good friends just hanging out together, maybe waiting for someone, from the way the girls keep checking their phones. Sakurai appears to have gotten distracted by a cookware store. Kiyoshi is talking to a crowd of little old ladies, Hyuuga's struggling out of the trash can, and Tetsu's nowhere to be seen. Really, how is this his life.  
  
"Uh, I think you chose a romance by accident," Kagami tells him, waving the tickets around. Aomine grabs one out of his hands; it reads "Winter Sun, Frozen Heart."  
  
Great. Like they need even more excuses for those guys to judge them. "Let's just get this over with." He steels himself and they enter.  
  
Kuroko steps away from the ticket counter and flags everyone down. "They're watching this one," he reports, pointing to the poster with a young couple lying in the snow holding hands. The tagline reads "In the snow, can a new love blossom?"  
  
"Wow. That's...unexpected," Hyuuga says.  
  
"Yeah, I didn't take Kagami-kun or Aomine-kun for such romantics," Riko chimes in.  
  
Kiyoshi throws his arms around their shoulders. "Haha, well I guess since we're following them on a date, today's going to be more romantic for all of us than we thought!"  
  
"We better get tickets then! Tetsu-kun, w-would you like to sit next to me?"  
  
"That would be fine with me, Momoi-san."  
  
"Wait, I want to sit next to Kurokocchi too!"  
  
  
Eventually, they all manage to find seats scattered around the theater, with the intention of keeping hidden but making sure the couple is visible. However, besides some fervent spying when the previews are on, during which Kagami slides down a bit and leans his head on Aomine's shoulder, soon everyone is too engrossed in the film to pay attention to anything else. It isn't until the credits are rolling and he's wiping tears from his eyes that Kise realizes he totally failed the mission.  
  
"Crap! Guys, where did they go?!" The two aces already exited while they were distracted.  
  
"I'm sure they're just outside, Kise-kun. Quickly, put your sunglasses back on."  
  
They all sneak back out in separate groups. In the lobby, Kagami is sniffling a little as Aomine pats him on the back.  
  
"Emotional much?"  
  
"S-shut up! I was really worried at the end that he wouldn't be able to catch her train in time with his legs like that." Kagami scrubs furiously at his eyes.  
  
Oh. Leg injuries are a little personal for Seirin. With a beleaguered sigh, Aomine pulls his boyfriend in for a hug. He won't admit it, but it feels kind of nice to be someone's support. "It can't be helped. Let your tears out onto my manly shoulder. Though, somehow I think it's cute when you cry."  
  
"That's because you're a sicko."  
  
"That's not a nice thing to say to someone who's about to buy you dinner."  
  
Kagami blinks at him through slightly watery eyes. "Cheeseburgers?"  
  
"Nah, I was thinking more along the lines of that place near the court where we always play. You know, the swanky one."  
  
"What?" In a quieter voice, Kagami says, "That's not part of the plan! And isn't that place pretty expensive?"  
  
"It's fine. Look, I figured, since we never really go on dates, we might as well get the most out of this charade that we can, right? I want to do something nicer for you than buy you Maji Burger once in a while," Aomine murmurs back. This close, their noses are almost touching, and he can see the instant that a blush flares up in Kagami's cheeks.  
  
"You're just trying to trick Kuroko and Momoi into thinking you're a good boyfriend."  
  
"Hah, maybe. You tell me. Am I a good boyfriend?" He leans in, closer, closer...  
  
Kagami wrenches away. "You're the absolute worst," he stammers out. "But maybe I'll change my mind after dinner," he adds and rushes out the theater doors.  
  
Aomine grins and chases him down. Meanwhile, the team tries not to start a victory dance next to the concession stand.  
  
\--  
  
Aomine watches in sick fascination as the steak steadily vanishes.  
  
"...you're not going to be full after that, are you."  
  
Kagami looks up, about to cram another slice of meat into his mouth. "No, how is that even possible? It's just one steak. It's really good, though." He finishes chewing and then hastily tries to reassure the other, "Oh, but I don't need you to buy me another one or anything. I'll just throw something together at home later."  
  
"Teriyaki."  
  
"Oi, I didn't ask for your input." Kagami puts his fork down. "Anyway, we should probably try to leave soon. I don't want them to get arrested." His line of vision flickers over to the window, where they can see the convenience store across the street. Their friends are bustling around, amusing themselves while they wait, but a few are pressed against the glass holding binoculars.  
  
"...are they playing basket with bath puffs?"  
  
"Ignore them. So, we're going to stick to the rest of the plan, okay? No more improvising."  
  
"Alright, alright. We've gotta make it look good so they stop screwing around. Wait, stop moving for a second, Kise's looking."  
  
Aomine jumps up and holds out Kagami's jacket.  
  
Kagami just grabs it back from him. "Do you want me to thank you? I know how to put on a coat, for crying out loud."  
  
In the drugstore, Kise lowers his binoculars and laughs. "He blew it. I think they're moving out, guys. We're in the last quarter now, so stay focused, everybody!" When no one responds, he turns around to see that they're too occupied with their pick up game of basketbathpuff. Out of nowhere, the puff in Mitobe's possession is gone; Kuroko slams it into the laundry basket Momoi is holding. "Was Phantom Shot really necessary there?"  
  
Kuroko trots over after his victory, as Coach Aida wrangles everybody toward the door and Sakurai apologizes profusely to the cashier on their behalf. "Did anything of interest happen, Kise-kun?"  
  
"Not really. But I think we're about to see something big; I can sense it."  
  
"Then we better be on high alert."  
  
  
High alert isn't actually needed, as they find out soon enough. Aomine and Kagami amble along a quiet walkway, lined with trees and lit with the warm glow of streetlamps at dusk. There are enough pedestrians that the team can stroll behind them without drawing attention to themselves. Kuroko can see the way they walk side by side, like equals. They're talking about something, and it makes Kagami laugh; in response, Aomine's expression gets brighter, and he puts his arm around Kagami's neck in a fake stranglehold. They jostle a bit at each other, and Kuroko smiles at the easy familiarity in the motions, the perfect understanding they seem to have of the other person's limits. He knows it's not a court, but Kagami looks like he can read Aomine's intentions without much effort, which is a huge change from their first match against each other. They've both grown so much.  
  
And then it's like enlightenment crashes down on him. This familiarity isn't just friendly. Kuroko's eyes zero in on a flash of movement that seems innocent, but is really Aomine pressing the fastest of kisses to the inside of Kagami's wrist. Kagami just rolls his eyes but squeezes his hand before letting go.  
  
Well, well, well. Perhaps his Lights are less oblivious than he thought.  
  
Kuroko can't believe someone like Coach or Izuki didn't catch on earlier, but when he looks around, Izuki's busy chatting with Sakurai and Koga, and Coach is trying to break up a squabble between the captain and Kiyoshi. All in all, even though they had a job to get done today, it seems like the team has been having their own brand of fun, which is fine. It'll be a nice memory to think about when the stress of Interhigh and the Winter Cup is looming over them.  
  
He's about to inform Momoi that there's really no point to their plan anymore when she lets out an "eep!".  
  
"Momoi-san?"  
  
"Tetsu-kun, look! Something's about to happen!"  
  
The couple (and apparently, they really are a couple) turns off onto a side path and slow down their pace. Coach gives a sharp whistle and the whole gang dives behind the bushes at the edge of the street and crawls ninja style alongside the path their targets are taking. Kuroko isn't sure what they're about to do, but he figures it might be entertaining, so he keeps quiet for a bit longer.  
  
Everyone moves forward for a few more paces until Kagami slows to a stop.  
  
"Hey. Aomine. I, um. I wanted to tell you something," he says nervously, tugging at the ring around his neck. The bush stops rustling.  
  
"What's with this serious atmosphere? What, do you want to 1-on-1?" A few people fight the urge to throw something at Aomine's head.  
  
"No, Ahomine, just stop talking for a minute, would you?!" Seirin watches as their ace turns away for a second before pacing back. Pity fills their hearts; this feels a lot like Coach's "confess-to-your-crush-while-naked" punishment.  
  
Gathering his wits, Kagami starts again. "So. Even though you're kind of arrogant, and entitled, and you eat all my food-"   
  
"Hey!"  
  
"-you're also good at basketball and you're an okay guy sometimes."  
  
"Wow, thank you. I am so touched."  
  
"S-so, like I was saying. You're not terrible. And. I, uh. About you. I-"  
  
Everybody in the bushes collectively sucks in their breath.  
  
"I-I really li-li-like, I...you... _Daiki!!_ " Kagami finally blurts out, his face bright red.  
  
Aomine stares at him and then starts blushing too. "Wait, what the fuck was that?! Why did you suddenly just shout my name?"  
  
"...I was trying to get your attention?"  
  
"I was listening, you dope! What were you trying to say? And you can't just start calling out people's first names like that!"  
  
"Why not? I call Tatsuya that way all the time."  
  
"Because this isn't America and that's embarrassing! And I don't want to hear about that guy at a time like this! Tell me what you were going to say!!"  
  
"Nope, nope, nope, let's just forget about it. Time to go home." Kagami spins and then suddenly breaks away, dashing down the path.  
  
"Tch, you think you can outrun me, you bastard?" Aomine shouts after him as he gives chase.  
  
Those in the shrubs remain motionless for a second, before Hyuuga says what they're all thinking. "No, but really, what the hell is wrong with those two?" The others shrug, and then crawl as quickly as they can after them.  
  
Several meters ahead, Aomine has tackled Kagami, who has give up on trying to wriggle away. Aomine rolls off his captive and stares up at the night sky, where the first few stars are lit.  
  
"What happened to the plan, huh?"  
  
"I couldn't say it," Kagami tells the dirt.  
  
"Embarrassed by me, huh?" Aomine asks, with a hint of bitterness to his voice.  
  
"No, it's not like that. I didn't think this plan through." He turns his head so he's no longer breathing in pebbles, and presses his forehead against Aomine's arm. "I thought I could do it, but I couldn't because I didn't think it was something for other people to listen in on. Words like that, they're only supposed to be heard by the person they're meant for, you know? I didn't want you to think I was turning it into some spectacle. I do want to tell them about us, because I'm not ashamed or anything, but this isn't the right way to do it."  
  
Aomine remains silent for a beat or two, before standing up and helping Kagami to his feet. "Okay. We'll tell them the right way, then." And then he starts marching toward the shaking bush.  
  
Every so often, Kagami wonders if Aomine really feels the same way as he does. He knows it isn't very fair of him; obviously, his boyfriend feels  _something_  for him, otherwise they wouldn't be dating. But Kagami will think about the way Aomine acts, disaffected and independent and somehow yet so magnetic. He'll remember that despite that infinite distance that Aomine seems to put between himself and other people, he's still the same guy who punched Haizaki for Kise, without regard for the consequences. He's still the one who first believed in Kuroko, when Kuroko was invisible to everyone else. He's the one who's earned Momoi's undying loyalty. And in these moments, he wants to ask, "What am I to you? Would you do these things for me? Is my light even visible to you?"  
  
Aomine demands so much from him: his food, his attention, his time, his respect, his love. Kagami gives it all to him freely, because he's never learned to do anything by half, or how to restrain his emotions, or how to fight the hypnotic thrall in those ocean dark eyes. But all he wants in return is an acknowledgement that he means something, that he owns some part of Aomine's heart. If even just once, he wants, selfishly, to be the only thing Aomine sees, in the same way that sometimes Aomine is so bright that everything else in Kagami's world seems colorless.  
  
Here, in this moment, as Aomine pulls him toward their panicking friends, Kagami imagines that their heartbeats are synchronized for a second. The heat of Aomine's fingertips, the calluses on his palm, the confident strength in his grip - every tiny sensation is saying to him,  _Don't worry, I won't let you go_. And Kagami realizes that he already has his proof. Aomine would never ask for so much if he didn't want it; if he didn't need Kagami, he would have disappeared long ago.  
  
He grins involuntarily.  
  
They stop in front of the bush, which abruptly stops moving. Kagami has no idea how many people are crammed in there. 9? 10? The poor plant will probably never grow the right way again.  
  
Aomine kicks his foot into the middle of the leaves, and someone lets out a cry. "Oi, get out here, Tetsu. I want to tell you something."  
  
Kuroko's head pops out from the leaves and he blinks at them. "Oh, Kagami-kun, Aomine-kun, how surprising it is to run into you here."  
  
"Don't even, Tetsu. I'm serious right now."  
  
The shorter boy nods and steps out of the foliage to listen. Aomine lifts up his hand, joined to Kagami's and puts it right in front of Kuroko's nose.  
  
"Kagami and I are dating. We've been dating for six months. Even if you're his shadow, Tetsu, don't think that you're the only one who gets to have his light. But I'll leave him in your care when it comes to basketball, at least for now. After high school, though, that's a different story. There. Anything else you want to say?"  
  
"Um. Thanks for the trouble you've been going through to help us, Kuroko, but we're actually doing okay. And I'm not going to let this distract me from us beating Touou into the ground."  
  
Kuroko smiles at the two of them, and then places his own hand on top of theirs. "I already knew. But thank you for telling me. And I wish the two of you all the best."  
  
They stand around and smile at each other in understanding for a second until:  
  
"What do you mean, you already knew?" five or so people shout at once.  
  
"Because a shadow knows his Lights the best," he responds, with an air of deadpan superiority.  
  
"Figures. In any case, now that this is settled, you guys can stop fucking around. Don't you dare lose to someone weak before we meet because you were too busy acting like dumbasses," Aomine scolds the guys slowly untangling themselves from the branches. "Same goes to you, Kise. And Ryou...I have no idea why the fuck you got involved with these people."  
  
"Sorry, sorry. It just seemed fun. I won't do it again! Sorry." Sakurai hastily bows and hides behind Momoi.  
  
"I can't believe it! All our planning was completely pointless!" Kise groans. "Urgh, and it was pretty bothersome to visit Seirin so often."  
  
"Then stop doing it!"  
  
Kiyoshi is the last to free himself, and he dusts all the leaves off his hat. "We all had fun today, didn't we? So it's fine! But it's pretty late now, so we should probably head back home."  
  
"Yeah. Sorry about the hassle, senpai. If you give me just a second, I'll catch up with you after." Kiyoshi claps Kagami on the back and starts heading back toward the main path with the other Seirin students.  
  
While Sakurai is helping Momoi clean herself off, Kagami turns back to Aomine and with a lightning fast movement, kisses him.  
  
"Hey, that was too fast. I couldn't even enjoy it," Aomine whines. Kagami punches him in the arm.  
  
"Thanks for the date, you jerk. And thanks for earlier. Tell Momoi to come over tomorrow; her fried rice still needs some work. I'll see you later." And with that, he runs off after his team.  
  
Aomine watches him leave with fond exasperation. It's truly difficult sometimes to like someone who doesn't know how to express anything unless it's about basketball. But he likes a challenge.  
  
"C'mon, Satsuki, Ryou. Better hurry up or we'll miss the train." He turns and starts leaving in the other direction.  
  
"Wait up, Dai-chan! And I can't believe you didn't tell me you were dating, ugh, you're the worst!!!"  
  
\--

Trying not to salivate and ruin her ladylike image, Momoi watches as Kagami removes the tray from the oven. The fresh-baked cookies smell heavenly.

"Waaaah, I didn't know Kagamin could bake too! I'm actually kind of jealous. If I could do something like this, maybe Tetsu-kun would..."

"Don't look so sad. I'll teach you by Valentine's Day. Even if it means we die trying," he promises a little nervously, looking over at Momoi's incomprehensibly slimy salad. It tasted like orange juice; they're both too afraid to figure out why.

While she's helping him move each cookie over to the cooling rack, Momoi notices that there are two different shapes. Most are round, but a few look a little weird. From the orange frosting Kagami's now making, she's pretty sure the round ones are going to look like basketballs. But the others...

Momoi finds the cookie cutter among the mess on the counter. "Kagamin...is this a crayfish?"

"Well. You know, that guy, he likes them, so. Since it wasn't any extra bother, I just made a few like that," he mutters while spreading frosting on the first cookie.

As if summoned by their words, the person in question walks into the kitchen. "Let me hang out in here. Those two are way too annoying," Aomine pleads.

"Kurokocchi, it's cheating if you make the cards disappear!" wails a voice from the living room.

"Kise-kun, I think you need to have your eyes examined," responds another.

"Yeah, sure, but only if you help. Go wash the dishes or something. And here, test this for me." Kagami shoves a crayfish cookie at him.

"...you know, it's disturbing how cute you are sometimes."

"Shut the hell up, and get your ass to work!"

Momoi stifles a giggle by eating a cookie of her own. Yeah, what she's seeing is definitely love.


End file.
